Kendo and Lumbar disc herniations

Almost two years ago I had a surgery for a lumbar disc herniations (L5-S1) the disc slipped out about 1cm so they had to cut it out. It took several months to start to walk again without limping.

Now I feel perfectly fine a part of a bit of stiffness to the left calf muscle in the morning from time to time.

The doctor who made the surgery and the physiotherapist I visited during the rehabilitation suggested me I should strength the muscles of the lumbar area but a part of that I should be able to do whatever I like.

Is kendo dangerous for people that have had this kind of injuries/surgery?

I was wondering about it also because it doesn't look to me Kendo involves a symmetrical physical activity (like swimming for example)

Thanks a lot.

Luigi

Answer: Thank you for your question. The back injuries in kendo are also common. That means we put a lot of pressure on our lower back.

Like in any sports, it is very important that we need to warm-up before training and stretch after training. Like you said, kendo is not a symmetrical physical activity. That is why it is very important to stretch muscles very well.

Many people still do kendo with lumbar disc herniations. Of course they do train their body other than kendo so they won’t hurt themselves in kendō. And also they know their limitation. They stop and they have to.

You really have to take a good care of your own body so you can develop kendo muscles step-by-step without hurting yourself more.

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